103 ON THE IMPROVEMENT Ot CHEMICAL ARTS. May 25, 



Plan of an Jljfocintion for the Improvement of Chemical 

 Arts in Great Britain. 



^ o confer on the manufaftures of Britain an indifputed 

 fuper'ionty in all markets, they mud be equally good 

 nt leart, and be fold cheaper than ihofe of other nations : 

 But nothing tends fo much to dimini(h the expcnce of 

 maTiufaftures, as improvements in the chemical depart- 

 ments ; with regard to which our knowledge is but yet 

 in its infancy. 



It chances, unfortunately for us, that mod of the im- 

 portant chemical difcoveries in arts have been made in 

 foreign parts, and our manufadturers acquire a know- 

 ledge of them only in common with thofe of all other 



nations We have, therefore, no fuperiority above 



others in this refpect ; but in many cafes, the re- 

 verie. 



But if men of genius were encouraged to profecute 

 difcoveries at home, and were certain of deriving a pro- 

 fit from thefe difcoverie?, proportioned to their real im- 

 portance, we would foon find, that the people of Bri- 

 tain would not be behind any other nation, either in re- 

 fpect to induftryor ingenuity. 



To call forth that induftry, then, let us fuppofe, for 

 example, that all the bleacliers in Britain, or as many 

 of them as fliould choole to unite for that purpofe, 

 ihould join into one great fociety, and contribute a fum 

 annually to be diftributed by them in premiums to 

 thofe who fhould communicate to this fociety any im. 

 portant chemical difcovery refpefting their own profef- 

 fion. The whole money fubfcribed, to be diftributed 

 among the competitors, in proportion to the eftimated 

 value of each difcovery, refpedivelyj — oi- in the 

 other ways that fhall be afterwards defcribed. , 



Thefe premiums to be adjudged and apportioned by 

 a committee of manufadurers, afGfted by fome able 



